


Birthday Puppy

by BunnyFairy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Birthday, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Yaoi, the smallest smattering of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 07:52:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3562013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyFairy/pseuds/BunnyFairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Sorry, can't make it. I got a puppy for my birthday. I'm playing with him today.”</p><p>A birthday present for an RP friend; our characters in an alternate setting where one is a singing sensation superstar and the other is a hopelessly pop culture-blind nerd.  Should read pretty easily without knowing the characters; the scenario and setting here comes from essentially nothing~</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Puppy

“It's his _birthday?_ ” Rachael exclaimed in surprise.

“That's what he said,” Ewan stated, remembering the (incredibly awkward and embarrassing) discussion he'd had with the mysterious stranger at the bar last night. _“Tomorrow's my birthday. You'll be my present. When can I pick you up?”_ He sighed. Why did he let Rachael and Felix dare him into these situations?

“We'll help you pick something out – come on, it'll be quick,” Felix urged them to hit the road. There was only an hour before the appointed time the stranger was supposed to come by – Ewan at least had gotten from him that his name was Nathaniel, so he didn't have to keep thinking of him as some variation of 'the stranger.' _The mysterious stranger, the beautiful stranger, the stranger who laughed and smiled so openly and easily_. Which had certainly made it easier for shy, quiet Ewan to talk to him last night.

A gift shop was only a skip down the road, as Ewan's house was only blocks away from the shopping district of town, where cozy stores and restaurants lined the street on either side. They ducked past displays of greeting cards, having unanimously decided that that was nowhere near enough of a gift for the occasion.

“Oh! Look at these stuffed animals!” Rachael cried, lifting one under its arms. Each stuffed animal was attached to a cutely-decorated mug cradled in its arms, with a few packets of hot chocolate mix tucked inside. “He _loves_ chocolate!”

“How do you know that?” Ewan asked, confused.

“Everyone loves chocolate,” Felix shrugged, smiling.

“Which one – bear or doggy?” Rachael looked over the options available on the shelf.

“I like dogs.”

“It's not _for_ you, Felix.”

“The dog has cute floppy ears. And it kind of looks like Ewan.”

“It _does!_ ” Rachael all but jumped in place, making the connection between the red fur of the stuffed dog and Ewan's hair. “Oh, I see, it's _red velvet_ hot chocolate!! So fancy! Okay, we _have_ to get this one,” she said, pushing the toy into Ewan's arms. He had already resigned to his fate and was moving to the cash register with his wallet.

* * *

 Within the hour, Rachael and Felix were stuffed together at the front window, peering out while Ewan waited on the porch. Every time Ewan glanced over his shoulder at them, Rachael flashed a brilliant smile and double thumbs-up to him, while Felix mouthed “Good luck.”

Shortly, shocking everyone, the car that pulled up at the appointed time was a smooth black limousine. The hood ornament was shaped like a pegasus, rearing back with its wings spread in triumph behind it. From the door on the side stepped out Nathaniel, with all of the grace and air of someone stepping onto a red carpet, while in reality it was just a sidewalk in the quiet suburbs. His stylish sneakers had high platforms and a heel, making his legs look even longer and more slender in his tight, dully shining black pants. An oversized t-shirt in peacock green covered his lean torso, hanging off of one pale shoulder. He was adorned in jewelry, several layers of necklaces strung around his neck with various pendants and chains, and bracelets clinking at his wrists. The teal streaks in his blond hair, which shimmered gold in the sunlight, were made even more prominent by the color of his shirt, and even further by the jeweled peacock feather fascinator he wore clipped to one side.

As he approached Ewan (who was stunned to silence at all of this), he pulled the lollipop he'd been enjoying out from between his lips and tipped it like a salute. “Hey, handsome,” he greeted.

“Hi,” Ewan answered monosyllabically, giving his head a little shake and blinking behind his glasses to bring himself back. “Oh. Um, happy birthday, Nathaniel.” From one of the porch chairs beside him, he produced the stuffed dog.

Nathaniel, for all of his exceptional appearances, looked shocked. “Thank you,” he said, a little breathlessly. Taking the gift, he looked it over, his smile growing to brilliant proportions. “Oh, it's so cute! This will be my new favorite mug! Omg, _red velvet_ hot chocolate?! Thank you!” He jumped, much like Rachael had earlier, although he used his leverage to hook an arm over Ewan's shoulders and hug him. Ewan's glasses went crooked at the sudden jerking movement. Without removing his arm, the two walked together back to the limo, meanwhile, Felix and Rachael were clinging to one another and wordlessly babbling in excitement as they bounced around together in the safety of Ewan's living room. Just before Nathaniel ducked back into the limo, he turned toward their window and gave them a lollipop salute too, along with a blinding smile. They screamed.

Ewan had no idea what to do in a limo. Their seating was wide, more like a bench, and positioned sideways rather than facing the front, and opposite their seating, a wide, flat-screen TV was attached to the vehicle's interior wall, currently powered off. Nathaniel eased beside him, crossing his legs with a flourish. He was in the middle of curling up against Ewan and had already leaned his hands on his thigh for balance when the driver interrupted, speaking to them through the glass partition that separated their luxurious seating area from the front seats.

“Mr. Tierce, the phone's been ringing nonstop. Would you like me to shut off the connection for you?” Nathaniel's lips tightened. He clearly hadn't wanted interruption, but it wasn't the driver's fault that his coworkers were busybodies.

“Let me take just one call; I'll tell them to stop,” he said, relaxing away from Ewan, who released a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. Nathaniel picked up the phone from a receiver that was attached to the wall beside them while Ewan's whirling thoughts settled so he could catch up.

Nathaniel Tierce? That was a name that he'd heard before, he was sure of it. He wracked his brain, mentally perusing files and folders of memories, trying to find where he'd stored it.

“Juan,” Nathaniel said sweetly into the phone, “Why so determined to bug me on my day off?”

“It is, in fact, _not_ your day off,” Juan sighed. “You're expected to attend these -”

“Why? I never get to do or say anything in those meetings. Everyone ignores my input even if I _do_ get something in. Elli doesn't need me there, and he's got a good handle on that scene way better than I do.”

“You _still_ need to be here. Where are you?”

Nathaniel's eyes darted around the limousine interior, landing on his birthday gift. He smiled. “I got a puppy. I'm playing with him today.”

“What? Wait -”

Nathaniel hung up. “Okay, that's that, you can turn it off now,” he said in a singsong voice to his driver, who seemed used to this.

“Is everything okay?” Ewan asked, strongly feeling that he understood less and less of his situation as every minute passed.

“Don't worry about it,” Nathaniel reassured him, settling to face him again. “By the way, we're going to the amusement park! I've always wanted to go. Have you been?”

“I think so, a long time ago,” Ewan remembered visiting when he was much littler, on a field trip with his class.

“What else do you like to do?” Nathaniel's eyes sparkled with interest, which made Ewan a little embarrassed that he only had boring answers.

“I just study...”

“Maybe you can help me! My tutors are awful.”

“Maybe,” Ewan agreed, growing a little more animated. Maybe it could be fun, if hanging out with someone meant going over study notes together. “I read a lot, too. What books do you like?”

Nathaniel's face lit up as if the clouds had parted just to shower him in his own personal sunbeam. “I thought you'd never ask.”

* * *

 

[And then they have adorable birthday fun together, enjoying the amusement park, going shopping, and eating out. Whee!]

 

* * *

 The sun was setting, painting everything pink and gold when their emptied plates were picked up by the restaurant staff. The breeze had picked up, getting cooler now that the sun wasn't out to warm them on the balcony where they'd shared their meal, the restaurant area separated from the walkway where the rest of the crowd enjoyed their shopping with a low chained fence.

It was from that crowd that a voice floated over to them.

“So this is where you've been playing hooky,” the dulcet tones of a thickly Spanish-accented voice took their attention.

Nathaniel stood up when he saw the owner of the voice approaching. “Juan,” he addressed him, “I told you, it's my day off.”

“You're not in the kind of line of work where you can just decide that on your own,” Juan answered, reaching up to remove his sunglasses. Wisps of his long black hair reached like tendrils over his face and behind him, pulled by the breeze. Ewan looked back and forth between the two of them; even someone as oblivious as him could feel the tension thickening here.

“It's not... that big of a deal,” Nathaniel insisted, though lacking his earlier conviction.

“It _is_ ,” Juan urged, having closed much of the distance between him and their table. “If you don't take your work seriously, you're going to get left behind. Your competition is going to pull ahead of you.” He leaned his hands on the chain fence between them and showed his teeth in a wolfish grin. “ _I'm_ going to pull ahead of you.”

“I don't care,” Nathaniel sneered.

They remained like that for many passing seconds, neither of them changing in stance or expression. “Suit yourself,” Juan shrugged, backing off. He had taken a few steps away from them when Ewan suddenly stood up.

“Hey, where do you get off harassing him like that? He's not bothering you,” Ewan's hands were balled into fists at his sides. Nathaniel was looking at him in disbelief, as if he did not recognize the person standing beside him. “So what if he slacks off for a day? He'll work twice as hard and catch up. Won't you, Nat?”

Nathaniel blinked. “Oh. Sure. Right!” he finally got some of his conviction back, and faced Juan with equal intensity. He felt bolstered, knowing that now it was two against one. Juan didn't look so cool any more, looking at the two of them in shock, and that felt like a personal victory of its own.

“Besides, it's his birthday, so give him a break, huh?” Ewan finished, standing up a little straighter.

Juan continued staring at them, disbelieving that anyone would dare speak up to him. He recognized that he was outnumbered, and relaxed his stance, showing his resignation. He gave a weak smile, saying “Gods, Nat. When you said you got a puppy, I didn't realize you meant a guard dog. He's a good find.”

That seemed to be all Juan had to say, so he turned away at last and left them alone.

Both Nathaniel and Ewan let out long exhales. Nathaniel looked at Ewan in wonder. “That was... thank you. I've actually... I've never had anyone stand up for me before,” he crossed his arms over his stomach, looking smaller.

“It wasn't that bad. He wasn't so scary,” Ewan shrugged, convincing himself as much as anything else.

“You're amazing. Fearless,” Nathaniel peered up at him, eyes shining. “He actually sounded impressed at the end. That's incredible. Juan doesn't like _anybody_.”

“Well,” now Ewan was getting embarrassed.

“Now you can tell your friends you smack talked Juan fucking Ramirez.” Nathaniel laughed, beginning to pick up their things and turn their chairs in so they could head out.

Something finally clicked for Ewan. Juan Ramirez? That was a familiar name... “The Latin singer?” he questioned. Nathaniel only laughed harder, clapping his hand on Ewan's shoulder. Truly, Ewan didn't know much about popular music, but he'd heard through school and by overhearing bits from news stations about the Latin singing and dancing sensation, especially famous for his hip gyrations and scandalously low-slung pants. Ewan shot a look over his shoulder, wondering if he could get another glimpse of the guy, but Nathaniel was dragging him in the opposite direction, arms hooked together.

* * *

 They piled into the limo, and for all of the overwhelming surprises Ewan had been faced with today, they culminated fully in the moment Nathaniel threw Ewan against the seat, pressed his convex into his concave, and kissed him. After a satisfying wet smack when their lips pulled apart, Ewan breathed a “whoa.” Nathaniel giggled.

In alarm, Ewan looked to the front of the limo for the driver, surprised to find the seat empty. “I told him to take a break for a while,” Nathaniel explained, and Ewan realized that's what the other boy had been keying into his phone while they rushed over here. Thinking back on it, a lot of the day's events made sense, now that he knew what they were leading up to... He groaned, pressing his palm to his forehead as if massaging a headache.

“You okay? ...Sorry, did I go too fast?” Nathaniel retreated, taking a seat on the floor of the vehicle at Ewan's feet to let the other boy sit up.

“It's not your fault,” Ewan reassured, fumbling both inwardly and out. “I'm just... I didn't expect... Um. I'm not really... romantic. Towards guys.” He winced, hoping his admission wouldn't hurt Nathaniel, then adding, “Or anyone, for that matter.”

Nathaniel looked at him sweetly, resting his cheek on Ewan's knee. “That's alright. Do you think you could make an exception... for me? If you'd like to... only if you'd like to.” Nathaniel trailed his fingers along Ewan's thigh, massaging lightly.

Ewan looked at him full of seriousness, holding his head in his hands in consternation, fingers pushing his red hair back from his face. The wavering of his eyes told Nathaniel that he was thinking very deeply. He tried to keep his own expression level, tried to hide the worry that was bubbling up inside him if Ewan rejected him now.

“...Yes,” Ewan finally answered, straightening in the seat again. “I think so. I'd like to try, at least.”

Nathaniel all but leaped up into his lap, face beaming. He perched on Ewan's knees, straddling him, and cast the other boy a mischievous look as he grasped the bottom edge of his shirt, then lifted it easily up and over his head. His many necklaces clattered back down over his naked collarbone.

He _loved_ Ewan's gasp at the sight of his torso exposed. He knew he had a thin, lean body, pale and perfect. The metal bar pierced through his right nipple never failed to impress, and the teardrop-shaped jewel in his navel worked to make his partner's eyes travel right where he wanted them to.

After allowing Ewan several seconds to enjoy the view, Nathaniel eased forward to put his hands under the other boy's shirt. He started to work it upward, but when his fingers grazed unyielding skin, he caught himself and stopped.

“Holy shit, your stomach is so _hard_ ,” he said in awe, peeking under the fabric to find lightly defined abdominal muscles. Was that a six pack? Disbelieving, his thumbs followed the vertical and horizontal grooves, smiling wider when he passed over the beginnings of red-colored hair south of his belly button. “What do you do, 100 crunches every time you finish a chapter in a textbook or something?”

“Fifty a day,” Ewan corrected, giving small grunts while Nathaniel's fingers traveled. “I do... martial arts. Aikido. It's mostly grappling. Upper body strength.” He was babbling, trying to keep his mind reeled in, and Nathaniel loved it. “Guard dog, indeed...” he mused, reflecting on the encounter with Juan with the newfound knowledge that Ewan had not just spoken for show; he really _could_ have taken him on if a fight broke out. His smile was back when he finally pushed Ewan's shirt up the rest of the way, working it over his head and arms.

Ewan was embarrassed to be exposed, hiding his face behind one forearm. Nathaniel couldn't get to his face like that, so when he leaned in, he planted his kisses on Ewan's neck instead, knowing that his necklaces had to be cold against the other boy's skin.

Ewan said something, muffled behind his arm. Nathaniel asked, “What?”

“Tierce,” Ewan said again, lowering his arm. “I finally remembered. I do know that name. It was Alexandra Tierce.”

Nathaniel sat up. Ewan didn't look at him, his head still turned aside. “Her music was beautiful. It was slow, relaxing. New age, I guess. It's what my mom played in my nursery. Even when I was older, I kept listening to it, especially to fall asleep to. It was like a lullaby. And I've had... problems, growing up, related to... failing to retain calmness. Sometimes, playing her music helped, during those attacks. My mom said it had healing properties. It's stupid, but... it really felt like she was singing lullabies just for me, especially when I really needed to hear it in times like that.”

Nathaniel remained quiet, absorbing all of that. Swallowing, he finally said, “They _were_ lullabies. A lot of them were for _me_ .”

Ewan turned to him now, and they looked at each other. They both knew the end of this story. Years ago – over a decade now? – Ewan remembered how kids reacted to it at school, even at that early grade – Alexandra Tierce died mid-travel, when her train derailed. Her husband was with her.

Ewan scolded himself for failing to follow the news, and only just now strung together all of the obvious clues. Nathaniel Tierce – he'd heard that name before, much in the same way that he knew Juan Ramirez. If only he'd known that that budding pop idol was the son of the woman whose music he'd admired so much... maybe he could have reacted more appropriately back when Rachael and Felix first spotted him in the bar, or when he first walked out of the limo and onto his porch, or when he kissed him. “I'm sorry,” Ewan apologized, at a loss.

“That's alright,” Nathaniel forced a tiny smile. “It was nice being with someone who didn't know me, for just once in my whole life.”

Ewan sat up straighter, making Nathaniel wobble as his perch shifted. Leaning over, he grasped Nathaniel's arms, gently pulling him until they kissed in the middle. “I know you _now_ ,” he promised quietly, “And I'd like to know you _better_ .”

One million birthdays concentrated into a single day couldn't compare to the elation Nathaniel felt in this moment. He returned the kiss deeply, sending out his hands to roam Ewan's body once more. Without shame, he went for the waistline of his pants, letting his fingers follow that trail of red hair, which gradually grew in coarseness.

“Mm, good boy,” he said, thoroughly pleased with his gift.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday Dang!!


End file.
